'DMK failed to raise voice to bail out workers'

CPI(M) today accused UPA partners, particularly DMK in Tamil Nadu, of compromising its ideologies and not raising their voice in providing a package for the workers who were losing jobs due to recession. The UPA government was very keen to provide package for Corporate houses and big industries, but not for the benefit of the lakhs of workers and its partners had failed to raise this issue, CPI(M) politbureau member, Brinda Karat alleged at a press conference here.

Even DMK, claimed to be supporting the working class, has given up all its positions and gone the Congress way. The strange silence on the part of DMK and the DMK government to bail out workers is surprising, Brinda said. She was replying to a specific question on the issue that the party cadres were not happy to leave DMK alliance and for joining with AIADMK in the Lok Sabha polls. DMK in the initial stage had opposed the Indo-US Nuclear deal and later backtracked and supported Congress. Besides, all the major partners, including DMK, failed to follow the common minimum programme, the base of CPIM's support to UPA government, She said.

The State government should have come out with package for workers, as was done by West Bengal and Kerala, where they had expanded PDS and employment guarantee scheme, besides strengthening rural infrastructure, she said. Though inflation has come down, the price rise still continued and the Government should take steps to bring it lower, Brinda said.